

The Coast of Mid-Norway: Shellfish El Dorado
Season 2 Episode 205 | 26m 32sVideo has Closed Captions
Andreas Viestad visits mid-Norway's fish banks and prepares a dish with native seafood.
Host Andreas Viestad visits some of the richest fish banks in mid-Norway and then prepares a seafood dish with native scallops, crabs and lobster. The region also holds some of the most modern aquaculture for salmon and mussels — and Andreas makes the most of these ingredients.
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New Scandinavian Cooking is presented by your local public television station.
Distributed nationally by American Public Television

The Coast of Mid-Norway: Shellfish El Dorado
Season 2 Episode 205 | 26m 32sVideo has Closed Captions
Host Andreas Viestad visits some of the richest fish banks in mid-Norway and then prepares a seafood dish with native scallops, crabs and lobster. The region also holds some of the most modern aquaculture for salmon and mussels — and Andreas makes the most of these ingredients.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipTHIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY THE FOLLOWING... NORWEGIAN SALMON IS OCEAN-FARMED BY CRAFTSMEN, BLENDING TRADITION WITH TECHNOLOGY.
[ LAUGHTER, HEARTBEAT, MUSIC ] Woman: CREATED BY ME, A MOM OF THREE, TO MAKE MOBILE KIDS SAFER AND YOUR LIFE EASIER.
♪ ♪ >> HI, AND WELCOME TO "NEW SCANDINAVIAN COOKING" FROM FROHAVET IN MID-NORWAY.
I'M ANDREAS VIESTAD.
IF YOU EVER WANTED TO ESTABLISH AN UNDERWATER GARDEN, YOU WOULD WISH FOR CONDITIONS LIKE THE ONES YIND HERE IN FROHAVET.
THOUSANDS OF ISLANDS, ISLETS, AND SKERRIES DOT THE HORIZON.
AND BELOW WATER, WELL, IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME -- EXCEPT THAT YOU FIND A LUSHNESS THAT IS IN STARK CONTRAST TO THE WINDBLOWN, OFTEN BARREN CONDITIONS ABOVE WATER.
THE GULF STREAM FEEDS A STEADY SUPPLY OF WATER, MAKING THIS AN EL DORADO FOR FISH AND SHELLFISH, AND, MORE RECENTLY, ALSO MODERN AQUACULTURE.
AND THE BOUNTY OF THE SEA FROM FROHAVET IS THE FOCUS OF TODAY'S PROGRAM.
I'LL START OFF WITH WHAT MUST BE THE PRETTIEST OF ALL SHELLFISH, THE SCALLOP.
IT'S ALSO THE MOST FRAGILE, AND I'LL TRY OUT A GENTLE WAY OF COOKING IT -- I'LL SEAR IT ON ONE SIDE ONLY, AND I'LL SERVE IT WITH THE RED CAVIAR OF THE ATLANTIC, SALMON ROE.
THEN I'LL MAKE A HEALTHY AROMATIC DISH WITH CARAMELIZED SALMON SERVED IN A BROTH MADE OUT OF SEAWEED.
THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER SHELLFISH IN THESE WATERS IS THE LANGOUSTINE, OR NORWAY LOBSTER.
I'LL USE IT IN A ROUGH AND SIMPLE DISH TOGETHER WITH LOCAL CRAB.
AND FINALLY I'LL MAKE SEARED SALMON AND MUSSEL FRICASSEE.
DUE TO THE CRYSTAL CLEAR WATERS AND THE HUGE DIVERSITY OF MARINE SPECIES, THE ARCHIPELAGO SURROUNDING FROYA AND HITRA IS NOW CONSIDERED SOMEWHAT OF A DIVING PARADISE.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY I THINK, DIVING IS THE ONLY LEGAL WAY TO CATCH SCALLOPS IN NORWAY.
THERE ARE ACTUALLY TWO WAYS TO CATCH SCALLOPS -- THE OTHER WAY IS MUCH MORE PROBLEMATIC.
IT MEANS USING A TRAWL, AND THE TRAWL SCRAPES THE OCEAN BOTTOM -- TAKING BASICALLY EVERYTHING WITH IT, LEAVING A WASTELAND -- A SORT OF UNDERWATER DESERT.
ONE OF THE CONSTANT FRUSTRATIONS FOR US FOOD LOVERS WHO WANT TO EAT RIGHT, IS THAT IT'S SO HARD TO KNOW THE ORIGIN OF THE FOOD WE EAT.
BUT WITH SCALLOPS IT'S PRETTY EASY.
WHEN THE SCALLOPS ARE CAUGHT BY HAND, THEY LOOK LIKE THIS.
THEY'RE PICTURE PERFECT -- STRAIGHT OUT OF A BOTTICELLI PAINTING.
WHEN THEY ARE TRAWLED THEY'RE MUCH MORE BRUISED AND BROKEN.
AND IF YOU FIND YOUR SCALLOPS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SHUCKED AND ARE FROZEN, THEN YOU CAN ASSUME THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TRAWLED UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED.
AND THERE IS ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT OF COMMERCIAL FARMING OF SCALLOPS GOING ON.
IT'S STILL AN INDUSTRY IN ITS INFANCY.
WHAT HAPPENS IS QUITE INGENIOUS.
YOU HATCH THE SHELLS, AND THEN YOU GROW THEM UNTIL THEY'RE ABOUT YEA BIG, IN A VERY FANCY INCUBATOR.
AND THEN YOU PLACE THEM IN AN AREA IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.
AND YOU FENCE THE AREA, SO YOU BASICALLY HAVE AN UNDERWATER GARDEN.
AND THEN YOU JUST LEAVE THEM THERE FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS UNTIL THEY'RE READY TO BE HARVESTED.
AND WHEN I TELL THE SCALLOP FISHERMEN HERE, THEY JUST SHAKE THEIR HEADS AND SAY, "WHY BOTHER?
THERE'S PLENTY OF SHELLS TO GO AROUND."
FRESH SCALLOPS ARE A WONDERFUL THING.
AND WHEN THEY ARE TOTALLY FRESH, YOU CAN SEE IT.
THEY MIGHT OPEN THEIR MOUTH A LITTLE BIT, BUT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO CLOSE IT AGAIN LIKE THIS.
THAT MEANS THAT THEY'RE STILL ALIVE -- VERY, VERY FRESH.
WHEN YOU'RE PREPARING SCALLOPS, YOU DON'T REALLY NEED TO DO ANYTHING.
THEY ARE PERFECT JUST AS THEY ARE.
YOU CAN JUST CUT A SLICE AND EAT IT RAW.
MMM.
WITH A TOUCH OF LEMON, A TOUCH OF LIME, A LITTLE BIT OF OIL, SPRINKLE OF SALT, IT IS A WONDERFUL THING.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IT IS ALSO NICE TO SEAR IT IN THE PAN SO YOU GET THAT SEARED SURFACE.
WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS I'M GOING TO DO IT BOTH RAW AND SEARED AT THE SAME TIME -- I'M JUST GOING TO SEAR THE SCALLOP ON ONE SIDE.
CUT A FINE CRISS-CROSS PATTERN ON THE ONE SIDE THAT I'M GOING TO SEAR.
AND I SALT IT AND ADD PEPPER QUITE GENEROUSLY.
AND THEN FRY IT IN A VERY HOT PAN.
[ SEARING ] AND THE SCALLOPS DON'T NEED MORE THAT A MINUTE OR SO.
WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS TO CREATE A SURFACE -- YOU DON'T WANT TO COOK IT THROUGH.
AND WHAT I'LL DO IS TO CUT THEM IN TWO.
I'M SERVING WITH SPRING ONIONS THAT I'VE JUST BLANCHED.
AND I'M GOING TO SERVE THIS SIMPLY WITH OUR OWN CAVIAR OF THE ATLANTIC, SALMON ROE.
YOU CAN FIND ALL THE RECIPES AT OUR WEB SITE -- AND HERE I THINK YOU GET THE BEST OF TWO WORLDS, BECAUSE YOU GET THAT CRUNCHINESS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME MOST OF THE MUSSEL IS STILL RAW, SO YOU GET THAT VELVETY TEXTURE THAT'S SO NICE WITH SCALLOPS.
THE COASTAL SOCIETIES AROUND FROHAVET HAVE GONE THROUGH DRAMATIC CHANGES THESE LAST FEW DECADES.
UP UNTIL RECENTLY FISHING AND GATHERING DOMINATED.
PEOPLE MAY HAVE USED A LITTLE MORE ADVANCED EQUIPMENT THAN THEIR PREDECESSORS, BUT IT WAS MORE OR LESS THE SAME THING.
TODAY, MODERN FISH FARMING OR AQUACULTURE DOMINATES.
AND THE CONDITIONS ARE SEEN AS MORE OR LESS IDEAL HERE.
THERE'S A CONSTANT SUPPLY OF WATER FROM THE GULF STREAM.
THESE CONDITIONS HAVE PREVENTED SOME OF THE CONFLICTS SEEN ELSEWHERE BETWEEN TRADITIONAL FARMING AND FISH FARMING.
PLACE A FISH FARM IN THE HEART OF A DEEP FJORD AND YOU MIGHT RUN INTO TROUBLE.
TRADITIONALLY, FRESH SALMON HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN RESERVED FOR THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THE SALMON PRODUCING AREAS NEAR THE SALMON RIVERS.
TODAY, THANKS TO GLOBALIZATION AND MODERN TRANSPORTATION, A FRESH SALMON CAN HIT THE FISH MARKED IN TOKYO IN LESS THAN 40 HOURS -- OR BASICALLY ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD.
THIS MEANS NEW INFLUENCES, NEW WAYS OF PREPARING SALMON.
AND I'M GOING TO PREPARE SALMON WITH A SORT OF JAPANESE TWIST, THE WAY I THINK A JAPANESE WOULD PREPARE IT IF HE HAD NORDIC INGREDIENTS.
I'M GOING TO START OFF BY SLICING THE SALMON INTO SLICES ABOUT THIS THICK... AND ARRANGE THEM ON A PLATE.
AND NOW COMES THE UNUSUAL PART.
I SPRINKLE THE FISH WITH A LITTLE BIT OF BROWN SUGAR.
NOT TO SUGAR CURE, WHICH IS QUITE COMMON IN SCANDINAVIA -- BUT I USE A CREME BRULEE BURNER TO CARAMELIZE THE SUGAR.
IT SMELLS FANTASTIC, LIKE FOOD FROM THE GRILL -- BUT ALSO A BIT LIKE A CANDY SHOP.
SO KIND OF STRANGE COMBINATION.
AND THE DISH AS OF NOW, IT'S FAR TOO SWEET.
BUT I'M GOING TO ADD SOMETHING SALTY AS WELL.
I'VE MADE A BROTH USING SEAWEED, NORMAL SEAWEED THAT I FOUND.
THE PREDOMINANT ONE IS THIS ONE, CALLED BLADDERWRACK.
NOW, I'VE JUST BOILED IT WITH A LITTLE BIT OF WATER.
YOU CAN ALSO USE MISO SOUP, WHICH HAS SOME OF THE SAME TASTE.
IT'S SALTY, BUT IT'S GOT ALL THESE BROAD AROMAS.
AND I'M GOING TO ADD THIS TO A TEAPOT.
AND I INFUSE THIS BROTH WITH SOME VEGETABLES.
I'VE GOT CELERIAC... AND CARROT.
AND RUTABAGA OR SWEDE -- YOU CAN ALSO USE TURNIP.
AND THIS INFUSION ONLY TAKES A COUPLE OF MINUTES, SO I'M GOING TO POUR IT OVER THE FISH TO POACH THE FISH.
BUT FIRST I'M ADDING A LITTLE BIT OF LOVAGE, WHICH IS A VERY SCANDINAVIAN, NORTHERN EUROPEAN KIND OF HERB, BUT IT ALSO REMINDS ME A LOT OF SOME ASIAN HERBS THAT HAVE SIMILAR KIND OF BITTERNESS AND A LITTLE BIT OF CABBAGEY QUALITY TO IT.
I'M GOING TO USE SOME OF THE VEGETABLES AS WELL.
THEY STILL HAVE A LOT OF FLAVOR AND THEY'RE STILL QUITE CRISP.
MMM.
THERE IS THIS FINE BALANCE BETWEEN THE SWEETNESS AND THE SALTINESS, AND THAT LITTLE HINT OF SOMETHING BURNT AND THE BITTER NOTES FROM THE LOVAGE.
AND THE FISH IS JUST ABOUT PERFECTLY COOKED.
YOU CAN FIND ALL THE RECIPES AT OUR WEB SITE -- EVERY YEAR, AS SUMMER DRAWS TO AN END, THERE STARTS TO POP UP SIGNS ALONG THE ROADS AND IN SHOPS, "NOW WE'VE GOT CRABS FROM HITRA."
THE WATERS OFF THE COAST OF HITRA ARE PARTICULARLY WELL SUITED FOR CRABS, AND THE CRAB FISHERIES ARE RICH.
IN FACT, FOR MONTHS EVERY YEAR, ERMEN ELI AND HANS STROMMEN, GIVE UP THEIR REGULAR HABITS OF GOING FAR OUT TO SEA, AND FOCUS ON CATCHING CRABS HERE ALONG THE ISLETS AND SKERRIES.
AND HERE WE HAVE MISS HITRA CRAB.
A GOOD SEVEN CRABS.
THEY'RE ALL FEMALE, AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY TELL THE DIFFERENCE OF THE SEX ON THIS PATCH HERE.
IF IT'S BROAD LIKE THIS, IT'S A FEMALE; AND IF IT'S NARROW IT'S A MAN.
AND THE GOOD THING WITH THE FEMALE SPECIMENS OF CRABS IS THEY HAVE MORE MEAT INSIDE.
THE MEN CAN HAVE HUGE, BIG CLAWS, THEN YOU OPEN UP AND YOU FIND THERE'S NO CONTENT.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THERE'S IS A PARALLEL TO ANYTHING IN THE HUMAN WORLD, BUT I'M GLAD WE GOT THESE SEVEN LUCKY LADIES.
[ WOMAN SPEAKING NORWEGIAN ] [ SPEAKING NORWEGIAN ] >> CRAB FROM HITRA AND LANGOUSTINE OR NORWAY LOBSTER FROM NEAR-LYING FROYA ARE CONSIDERED THE BEST SHELLFISH THAT NORWAY HAS TO OFFER.
I'M GOING TO COOK BOTH OF THEM, AND I'M GOING TO COOK THEM ON A GRIDDLE ON RELATIVELY HIGH HEAT TO GET OUT THAT SWEETNESS, THAT ALMOST CARAMEL-LIKE FLAVOR.
AND I'M GOING TO COOK THEM IN A NEUTRAL FAT.
IN THIS CASE I'M USING MARGARINE, BUT YOU CAN ALSO USE A NEUTRAL VEGETABLE OIL.
AND I'VE JUST CRACKED THE CLAWS A LITTLE BIT TO GET OUT THE FLAVOR AND GET A BROWNING OF THE MEAT IN THE CLAW, AS WELL.
AND I'M GOING TO ADD LOTS OF RED ONIONS, WHICH WILL ALSO CARAMELIZE ON THE GRIDDLE AND ADD AN EXTRA LAYER OF SWEETNESS.
A LITTLE BIT OF BLACK PEPPER.
AND A LITTLE BIT OF BEER -- FOR SWEETNESS, BUT ALSO FOR A LITTLE BITE OF BITTERNESS.
AND THEN I CLOSE IT ALL UP UNDER A LID.
AND THE POINT IS THAT, AT FIRST, IT BOILS, SO THE HEAT AND STEAM IS QUITE INTENSE.
AND AFTER A WHILE, MOST OF THE MOISTURE HAS EVAPORATED AND THEN THE BROWNING REALLY STARTS.
AND I'M GOING TO SERVE WITH TWO VERY SIMPLE, BUT VERY DIFFERENT SAUCES.
ONE COOL AND MILD SAUCE MADE WITH CREME FRAICHE AND PARSLEY AND FINELY CHOPPED ONION AND A LITTLE BIT OF LEMON.
AND THE OTHER ONE IS A REALLY, REALLY HOT AFFAIR.
IT'S GOT KETCHUP, SOY SAUCE, SUGAR, TOMATO, ONION, AND LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF CHILLI PEPPERS.
IT'S MEANT TO TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY.
AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO SERVE WITH BOTH SAUCES, BECAUSE SOME LIKE IT HOT, OTHERS DON'T.
AND I ACTUALLY LIKE TO EAT IT WITH THE HOT SAUCE FIRST, AND THEN WHEN IT FEELS AS IF I AM BURNING UP FROM THE INSIDE, THEN I SEEK RELIEF IN THE COOL SAUCE.
YOU CAN FIND ALL THE RECIPES AT OUR WEB SITE -- MOST AQUAFARMING DEMANDS A LOT OF PRECISION, A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY.
BUT THERE'S ONE TYPE OF AQUAFARMING THAT, TO ME, SEEMS LIKE IT'S PERFECTLY SUITABLE FOR INCREDIBLY LAZY PEOPLE, BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING.
IF YOU FARM FOR MUSSELS, ALL YOU DO IS PUT A ROPE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FJORD AND YOU JUST BASICALLY WAIT.
MUSSELS WILL ATTACH THEMSELVES TO THE ROPE.
AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO FEED THEM OF ANYTHING, THEY JUST... LAY THERE WITH THEIR MOUTH OPEN AND EAT PLANKTON AND WHATEVER ELSE HAPPENS TO FLOAT BY.
AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS THEY ARE READY TO BE HARVESTED.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY TRY THIS -- JUST PLACE A ROPE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FJORD AND SOME MUSSELS WILL ATTACH THEMSELVES TO IT.
I TRIED ONCE -- I LEFT IT OUT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
IT WASN'T QUITE AS IMPRESSIVE AS THESE PREPARED MUSSEL ROPES, BUT AT LEAST IT WAS ENOUGH FOR A FEW REALLY GOOD DINNERS.
THE LAST THING I'M GOING TO MAKE TODAY IS A DISH WITH SALMON AND A BUTTER MUSSEL SAUCE -- AND THE BUTTER MUSSEL SAUCE WILL CONTAIN BUTTER AND MUSSELS, FENNEL, SHALLOTS, CAPERS, AND ORANGE ZEST.
WE OFTEN START BY PEELING THE ONION.
AND WHAT WE NORMALLY DO IS JUST DISCARD THIS, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF FLAVOR HERE, AND WHEN I'M GOING TO STEAM THE MUSSELS, I'M GOING TO USE THAT FLAVOR FOR THE STOCK.
THE SAME WITH THE FENNEL.
I JUST REMOVE THE OUTER LAYERS.
THEY'RE PRETTY WOODY AND NOT SO INTERESTING TO EAT, BUT THEY WORK WELL IN A STOCK.
A LITTLE BIT OF GARLIC.
AND A SPRIG OF THYME.
THESE ARE VERY FRESH MUSSELS, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO ADD ANY LIQUID AT ALL --Y WILL STEAM IN THEIR OWN JUICES.
BUT IF THE MUSSELS ARE STORE-BOUGHT, AND ESPECIALLY IF THEY FEEL LIGHT WHEN YOU HOLD THEM, THEN THEY'RE PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT DEHYDRATED, AND YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADD A SPLASH OF WATER, OR, MAYBE EVEN BETTER, A SPLASH OF WHITE WINE.
AND THE MUSSELS ONLY NEED ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN MINUTES.
THEY ARE DONE WHEN MOST OF THE SHELLS, NOT NECESSARY ALL OF THEM, HAVE OPENED.
IF YOU OVERCOOK THEM, THEN THEY DRY UP AND BECOME SMALL AND QUITE CHEWY.
SO I LIKE THEM WHEN THEY'RE LIKE THIS, BIG AND PLUMP.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU HAVE TO THROW A FEW OF THEM AWAY, BECAUSE THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT UNDERCOOKED.
LIKE THIS ONE HASN'T OPENED AT ALL.
AND IT'S NOT JUST THE MUSSEL MEAT THAT'S GOOD -- THE STOCK HERE IS AN EXCELLENT SHELLFISH STOCK.
AND I REDUCE THE STOCK A LITTLE BIT WHILE I CHOP THE VEGETABLES.
AND THEN I WHISK IN BUTTER -- QUITE A LOT OF BUTTER.
AND BY WHISKING LIKE THIS, YOU ACTUALLY GET AN EMULSION.
IT'S NOT VERY STABLE, BUT IT IS A NICE EMULSION, AND YOU SEE IT'S NICE AND SMOOTH.
AND THEN FLAVOR IT WITH ORANGE ZEST... AND FINELY CHOPPED CAPERS.
AND PARSLEY -- WONDERFUL, FRESH PARSLEY.
THE LAST THING I DO IS TO FOLD IN THE MUSSELS.
THEN I TURN OFF THE HEAT.
AND I JUST FOLD THEM IN.
AND I'M SERVING WITH SALMON THAT I'VE PAN-FRIED, AND A PIECE OF CABBAGE THAT I'VE BLANCHED AND THEN SEARED IN THE PAN, AS WELL.
AND THIS IS IT.
THIS SAUCE IS SO PACKED WITH GOOD THINGS THAT IT'S ALMOST LIKE A FRICASSEE.
>> FOR MORE INSPIRATION ABOUT SCANDINAVIAN DESTINATIONS AND FOOD, VISIT OUR WEB SITE -- THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY THE FOLLOWING... NORWEGIAN SALMON IS OCEAN-FARMED BY CRAFTSMEN, BLENDING TRADITION WITH TECHNOLOGY.
[ LAUGHTER, HEARTBEAT, MUSIC ] Woman: CREATED BY ME, A MOM OF THREE, TO MAKE MOBILE KIDS SAFER AND YOUR LIFE EASIER.
♪
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New Scandinavian Cooking is presented by your local public television station.
Distributed nationally by American Public Television